


Ablaze

by ginkyou



Category: Historical Criminals RPF, Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story - Dolginoff
Genre: Arson, M/M, Nathan Leopold Is Protective Of His Tie, Public Hand Jobs, boy this ended up being a complete mess, due to popular demand dick loeb gets to have an orgasm too, might count as frottage if you define frottage very widely, this is kinda sappy tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:15:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8441830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginkyou/pseuds/ginkyou
Summary: They say that love is friendship set on fire. Arson, then, must be the highest form of adoration.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is heavily based on _Excitame_ 's _Nothing Like A Fire_. I tried to keep this fic as close to the show as possible while also trying to fix Stephen D's characterization (edit: sorry stephen) so in that aspect this is a bit of a mess.  
>  Unbeta'd as always.

One could argue that setting things on fire was sort of like sex. Arson, just like sex, involved sweat, effort and, at least in the case of people like Richard and Nathan, it had to be done in secret. Nothing rivalled that moment when the match was finally dropped and, after all that hard work, one’s efforts culminated in a white hot blaze that wiped out all thought. Afterwards, all that was left to do was bask in the glory of the moment and then, finally, clean up.

The warehouse had gone up in flames as if it had been made of paper. Richard, of course, had soaked it in enough gasoline to fuel a whole army of cars. He was covered in sweat from head to toe, his eyes reddened by smoke and little flakes of burnt wood and wallpaper and whatever had been in that warehouse stuck to his skin. To Nathan, he still was the most beautiful person in the entire world.

The air was dry and hot, white smoke billowing up into the night sky. The fire was loud, an angry roar that hungrily consumed the building. It wouldn’t take long for the entire warehouse to be nothing but charred remains. Richard busied himself with gathering all of their firestarting supplies back together. Nathan watched him through the smoke, admiring the way he moved with such elegance and determination, like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Nathan had already shrugged his suit jacket off before they had begun their little adventure, not wanting it to be ruined by spilled gasoline or flames licking at it, but Richard was only now taking his off. Nathan felt a hot twinge in his stomach at seeing Richard in his shirtsleeves. While Richard carelessly dropped his jacket behind him, Nathan loosened his tie.

“Babe, bring me those gas cans,” Richard shouted over the fire. Nathan looked around, found what Richard was talking about and did as he was told. Richard pointed at two other canisters peeking out from behind an undefinable, weed-covered block of concrete that may have once been something, but now was nothing more than a reminder of the inevitability of decay. “Over there.” Nathan put the cans down where Richard had motioned to and sighed when he saw that they had left his hands covered in gasoline. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers one by one. Standing away from the fire for a while was nice, the cool night air feeling much more gentle on his face than the blaring heat.

Richard’s hand on his hip almost made Nathan jump. Richard nuzzled his face against hiss from behind, one hand reaching around Nathan’s body to trail over the textured fabric of Nathan's vest. “I'm assuming you want your reward now?” Richard asked. Nathan let out a happy breath and and craned his neck to gently kiss Richard's cheek. Richard’s chest pressed softly against Nathan’s back.

“Touch me,” Nathan said, one hand moving to cover Richard’s hand and gently nudge it downwards. Richard hummed in his ear.

“Ask nicely,” Richard replied. Nathan made an insulted noise.

“Fuck you,” he said and turned away, Richard’s hand still on his vest.

“Fuck you back,” Richard replied, pulling his hand away. The wind turned for a few seconds and blew white smoke and sparks towards them, making Richard cough. The smell of burning wood grew strong for a moment, then abated again. Nathan shivered.

“Touch me. Please.” Nathan looked at Richard, trying not to look too pleading and failing miserably. His cheeks were red. Richard smiled. He shrugged his vest off, dropping it to the ground. As he slid his suspenders from his shoulders, Nathan reached out to undo his bowtie, but he stopped him with a hand on his chest. Nathan frowned. Richard grinned and opened his shirt, revealing his undershirt and a patch of clean skin over his collarbones formerly hidden by his shirt collar, contrasting starkly against the ash-covered skin above it.

So close to Richard the stench of smoke and gasoline was almost unbearable. It clung to Richard's hands and face and Nathan had to suppress a cough when Richard reached out to put his fingers on the sides of Nathan’s face. The smell was so overpowering that Nathan could taste it in his mouth before he even returned Richard’s kiss. Richard’s lips were soft but the flames had dried them to the point of cracking, the rough texture making Nathan gasp as their lips met. Richard gladly used this as an opportunity to lean even further into the kiss, hands on the back of Nathan’s head forcing Nathan to equal him in the passion of his kiss. Richard’s skin was hot, as if the fire was burning inside him.

For a few moments, Nathan returned Richard’s kiss with an intensity bordering on anger. His hands slipped under Richard’s open shirt and grabbed his waist, fingers curling into the sweat-soaked fabric of his undershirt. Richard's hands clawed at Nathan’s hair, then traveled downward, leaving soot on everything they touched. Nathan’s reciprocation weakened but before he had the chance to pull away, one of Richard’s hands had found his ass and grabbed it, pushing him up into the kiss. Nathan moaned a half-choked, surprised sound into Richard's mouth. Richard’s other hand snuck between their chests and fumbled with the buttons of Nathan’s vest, awkwardly trying to undo them while not letting Nathan back away.

Pushing Richard away, Nathan pulled himself free from Richard’s grasp. Richard let him go. “Let’s get out of here,” Nathan said, his back turned to Richard, wiping his mouth with a shaky hand, movements sharp and bordering on upset. “The fire brigade will be here any minute.”

Richard’s reply was a hand on Nathan’s waist and Nathan didn’t even have the will to pretend to resist as it grabbed him by the shirt and turned him around to face him. He almost couldn’t make out Richard’s face against the fire, but Richard’s fingers were gentle as they slid under his open vest, Nathan letting him take it off. Nathan’s shirt was almost transparent where his suspenders rested on his shoulder. Richard took his vest and threw it onto his own jacket, already lying on the ground. He hooked a finger under Nathan’s tie and pulled him closer, his other hand beginning to undo its knot. He tugged at the fabric, trying to undo it as quickly as he could. Nathan grimaced and pushed Richard’s hand away. “Careful,” he said, as if the problem was obvious. Richard blinked confusedly. Nathan groaned. “I just bought this tie!” he exclaimed, brushing his tie with his hand. Richard rolled his eyes.

“Should I go on?” Richard asked. Nathan huffed exasperatedly.

“Just… just let me do this myself,” Nathan said. He carefully undid his tie, making sure not to be too rough with it lest he damage the fabric. Richard’s fingers lingered over his hands the entire time, lightly brushing against his skin. Nathan’s tie whispered against the fabric of his shirt, and finally his throat was free of any constrictions, the top button of his collar already undone. Richard dropped Nathan’s tie onto the growing pile of clothes. Nathan looked visibly uncomfortable at it but, much to Richard’s relief, refrained from making any comments about it.

Richard’s hands rested on Nathan’s collar for a few moments while he watched the way the sweat dripped down Nathan’s neck and disappeared into the fabric of his shirt. As the fire roared behind them, he began to open Nathan’s shirt. He undid every pearl button carefully, fingers occasionally brushing against Nathan’s undershirt. Every time they did so, Nathan breathed in sharply, and every time he did, Richard let his fingertips linger on Nathan’s undershirt for a few moments longer, admiring the smooth silk.

Richard pulled Nathan’s shirt from his shoulders. Nathan breathed in sharply as Richard pressed a kiss to his now exposed clavicle, the skin hot and damp. His skin tasted like sweat.

The wind turned momentarily and black smoke drifted around them. They held onto each other, Nathan’s hands on Richard’s waist, one of Richard’s hand on Nathan’s ass, the other one drifting over the sweat-soaked back of Nathan’s shirt, Nathan’s face resting against the nape of Richard’s neck. Richard’s breath on his ear sent shivers down Nathan’s spine.

Nathan went in for another kiss but before their lips could touch, Richard grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him to his knees. Nathan’s eyes darted down for a moment but Richard was nowhere near visibly excited. He looked up at Richard, trying to meet his gaze to see if he would answer his questions, but Richard’s eyes, wide and wild, were glued to the fire. Richard gave Nathan’s shoulders another push and Nathan let himself fall back, Richard finally looking away the fire to follow him down. Nathan cringed at the feeling of rough gravel under him. “Wait,” he said, motioning for Richard to stop, “wait, wait...” He trailed off, one hand, little stones sticking to its palm, slowly wiping sweat from his forehead. “Hand me my jacket.”

Richard, having come to a kneeling halt between Nathan’s legs, reached over and pulled Nathan’s jacket to them. Nathan put his jacket under his back, fingers flitting and nervous. Though it did little against the texture of the gravel, it was still better than nothing. He leaned back. Something sharp pressed against his back and he flinched upwards, Richard giving way with a look of visible annoyance on his face.

“What is it this time?” Richard asked.

Nathan twisted around to lift up his jacket and, seeing nothing out of the ordinary under it, he went through the pockets. His fingers hit something cold. He pulled the object out and, in the light of the fire, recognized it as his glasses. The flames reflecting in them looked strange and otherworldly. Richard and Nathan both looked at them wordlessly for a few seconds. Nathan shrugged and put them back. “Remind me to take them out before I wear this suit again,” he said.

“Anything else in there that I need to worry about? Needles? Knives? Stray dogs?”

“If anyone has knives around here, it’s you,” Nathan said and managed to frown even as his heart leapt at the sight of Richard grinning at him. Richard returned his attention to Nathan’s legs, gently pulling them apart by the knees. Nathan let them part and tried to push down the embarrassment he felt at how hard he already was.

Richard glanced up into the fire and his features softened. There was something animalistic in him, in the way his lips parted and his chest moved and sweat dripped down his neck. It was terrifying and beautiful. When he looked down at Nathan, it was like the blazing fire was caught in his eyes. Nathan loved him more than he could explain.

The corners of Richard’s mouth twisted up into a smile and he bent down to kiss the inside of Nathan’s thigh. Nathan let his head drop onto the gravel. The ground felt warm under him. Richard kissed his leg again, and again, moving further down his thigh with each kiss. Nathan ached, both physically and metaphorically, with the wish that there was no fabric between Richard’s lips and his skin. Sparks flew around them and somewhere behind Nathan, the dying scream of a piece of wet wood being consumed by the flames echoed. Nevertheless, Nathan felt safe. Richard, having made his way halfway down Nathan’s thigh, raised his head. Nathan moaned frustratedly, more out of enjoyment of the game than because of the minor inconvenience.

Richard crawled upwards and Nathan readily, enthusiastically, leaned forward to meet his lips. Richard pushed him back down and buried his hands in Nathan’s hair. Nathan was immediately hit by a rush of gratitude at being half unclothed already because being under Richard was like being in a furnace. He couldn’t tell it was the fire that had warmed Richard up to what seemed like almost boiling temperatures or if it were merely the flames of the thrill that were heating him from the inside, but either way Richard felt like he was close to burning up.

Nathan’s mind was reeling, the heat, the smoke, the smell of gasoline and fire and Richard’s sweet, the weight of Richard’s body on him and the sharp pangs of pain whenever Richard buried his hands in his hair, it was all so good but at the same time it was  _ too  _ good, too much at once. He needed to breathe and there was no way he would be able to do that in the position they were in.

“Hold on, let me,” he said and couldn’t figure out how to continue. Instead of speaking, he nudged Richard with his hands. After a brief second of confused silence Richard understood and let Nathan move him. They rolled over until Nathan straddled Richard’s hips. Little stones and bits of ash fell from Nathan’s shirt as he moved, the hot breeze coming from the fire hitting his face and making him tear up. Richard moved his hips back and sat up until they were sitting face to face, Nathan’s legs clasped around Richard’s hips.

Richard let his hands rest on Nathan's waist, thrilled at how Nathan shuddered whenever he dragged his nails across his undershirt. His thumb slipped beneath the top of Nathan’s slacks and found Nathan's hip bone. Nathan's breath hitched and all of his movement stopped for a moment, eyes closing, a sight that even managed to excite Richard.

Richard pulled his hand out of Nathan’s pants to drag his nails up Nathan’s thighs instead and Nathan whimpered, turning into a moan as Richard grabbed his thigh and slid his hand back down it, stopping just short of touching him where the buttons of Nathan’s underwear strained against his erection.

“Dick?” Nathan asked, whining the word more than speaking it. His face was flushed. He was panting hard enough Richard feared for his health. At the same time, his open mouth and the flickering glow the fire cast on him, shadows ever-changing as the flames licked at the warehouse, was beautiful in so many ways.

“Yeah?” Richard answered. He reached out to wipe a drop of sweat from Nathan’s forehead. Nathan closed his eyes at the touch, breath slowing down. Richard let his hand rest against Nathan’s skin until Nathan opened his eyes again.

“I love you,” Nathan said quietly and swallowed. Richard, surprised, couldn’t help but laugh. Nathan’s cheeks went crimson and he opened his mouth to protest but Richard was too fast, wrapping his raised hand around the back of Nathan’s head and pulling him into another kiss, bodies pressed hard against each other, Richard's tongue exploring Nathan's mouth and Nathan eagerly pushing back. Nathan moaned softly as Richard moved his hips against his, and Richard hummed a happy, satisfied sound into Nathan’s mouth.

Richard could feel Nathan’s hands move between them. Nathan unbuttoned his fly and, after a moment of hesitation and a glance at Richard’s eyes, Richard’s fly, too. Before Nathan could do much else, Richard reached over and opened the lower buttons of Nathan’s underwear. Richard’s hand slid under the fabric and Nathan sucked in a sharp breath, muscles tensing, teeth gritted, as he pulled out his cock. Richard waited until Nathan’s features had softened again to begin moving his hand.

Nathan kissed the side of Richard’s neck, sucking on it until Richard moaned under him, his skin covered in goosebumps. When he let go, his mouth had left a mark.

Nathan was panting and squirming under Richard’s grip, gasping broken syllables of Richard’s name with every stroke of Richard’s hand. It didn’t take long for his gasps to turn into moans, loud and desperate, as Richard quickened his pace. Richard trailed a line of quick, rough kisses from Nathan’s throat to his chin and to his mouth, tasting the sweat on his skin and the heat of his mouth.

“I love you too,” Richard whispered in Nathan’s ear. Nathan could do nothing in reply but moan, his whole body stiffening as Richard gripped him even tighter and, finally, he came, hips bucking and head rolling back.

Nathan, barely having come down from his orgasm, scrambled to push Richard’s hand away so he could reach into Richard’s pants. Richard gladly let him. Nathan's fingers were so shaky they took what, at least to Nathan, seemed like hours trying to open Richard’s underwear. He was thankful that Richard didn’t seem to mind. Richard buried his nails in the back of Nathan's undershirt as Nathan took his already hard cock in hand. They locked eyes again, eyelids heavy and pupils large enough their eyes looked almost black. Richard leaned in for another kiss which Nathan gladly returned, all tongues and teeth and eager, hungry whines. Richard shuddered and gasped soft little moans and Nathan wanted the moment to never end, he wanted to take the scent of Richard’s sweat and the heat of the fire and the way Richard’s cock felt in his hand and encase it in glass so he might never forget it.

Richard came while their lips were locked, moaning an incomprehensible swear into Nathan’s mouth.

They stayed silent for a long time afterwards, revelling in the heat of their bodies and their shared love, legs hugging the other’s hips and sweat-covered faces resting against each other’s necks. The smoke around them seemed to deafen all noises but their breath and the roaring, raging fire behind them.

A part of the building collapsed, startling them. Nathan laughed, soft and exhausted. He moved to wipe away a drop of sweat that was threatening to drip into his eye while Richard, limbs heavy, stayed entwined in his grasp for a few more moments. Their clothes were wet with sweat and covered in dirt; ash, gravel and bits of burnt material sticking to them everywhere, even their skin covered in soot. Nathan could see little holes in Richard's shirt where burning debris had touched it and he felt glad that he hadn't decided to wear one of his better shirts. “Let's get out of here,” Richard said, voice low and warm, his face still cradled in the nape of Nathan’s neck.

Nathan nodded, and Richard kissed his neck again. The fire still burnt behind them, but it didn’t need them to be there to continue doing so. It would burn throughout the night if they were lucky, not quenched even by the firefighters’ efforts, a sign of their all-consuming affection, a beautiful secret that no one would truly be able to understand but them.


End file.
